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Abstract

This paper presents a discussion of the relationship between hypnosis, false memory, and multiple personality. Since Morton Prince's classic case of multiple personality (Prince 1906), only two other cases rival Prince's original work (Thigpen and Cleckley 1957, Schreiber 1973) in popularity.

This paper illustrates startling new material regarding the third most famous of multiple personality cases, that of Sybil. Tape recordings recently discovered document the fraudulent construction of multiple personality. The importance of the role of hypnosis is discussed in this presentation. The author of this paper knew the author of Sybil, Flora Schreiber, through many years before her death, and therefore is able to present first-hand information about the author and her work.

'... to suggest during a trance the appearance of a secondary personage with a certain temperament and that secondary personage will usually give itself a name. One has therefore to be on one's guard in this matter against confounding naturally double persons and persons who are simply temporarily endowed with the belief that they must play the part of being double.'

Prince, 1890 (William James comments upon Morton Prince's paper)

'After all', as Miss Beauchamp used to say, referring to her different dissociated personalities, B1, B3, and B4 - the saint, the devil and the woman, 'they are all myself.' And perhaps after all, Miss Beauchamp was not so very much unlike the rest of us.

Morton Prince, 28 April 1915 (Rieber 1997)

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Hypnosis,false memory and multiple personality: a trinity of affinity

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